Printing-plate-clamping device



. Spt. 15; 1925. 1,554,123

E. F. NOELL.

PRINTING LATE CLAMPING DEVICE Filed April 1925 [VVf/VTOR" Patented Sept. 15 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER F. NOELL, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE PRINTING MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

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Application filed April 8, 1925. Serial No- 20,522.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER F. NOELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing- Plate-Clamping Devices, of which the fol lowing is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to devices for retaining printing plates in position by means of clamping jaws pivoted in supporting stems, which impinge against the sides of apertures in a foundation plate, and which impingement is caused by an adjustment screw actuating an upper jaw.

In my copendingapplication, Serial No.

4743 of January 26th, 1925, I havedescribed a device for use in connection with the familiar type of foundation plate in which orifices are provided with expanded bases in the orifices. It is a particular feature of my present invention that the clamping devices obviate the necessity of the expanded bases, requiring only a shoulder or tapered portion in the upper parts of the orifices.

It is the object of my invention to provide for a foundation plate containing a plurality of orifices with shoulders or tapered port1ons in the upper parts of the orifices, a clamping device which is composed of a minimum number of parts, which shall be readily adjustable, which shall be easy to insert and withdraw and which is securely held within the orifices while exerting a ver stron tension a ainst the rintin y b D b plate, and which can be readily and easily released.

To accomplish these several objects I have provided a body portion or stem for the clamping device of the approximate depth of the orifice and have made this stem only segmental in circumference so that it will be readily insertable within a bed plate orifice regardless of whether the printing plate extends across a portion of the orifice or not. The stem is slotted at its lower end and retains a locking 3' aw pivoted within the slotted portion. A.:filler member is also pivn on t me pivot pin and fi s P the base of the orifice. A screw extends up through the stem and is adjustable with a The entire assembly is notonlyvery simple to manufacture, but it is easy to insert, to

key through a suitable opening'in the jaw.

withdraw and to adjust,'and it further provides a very firm grip on the printing plate.

Reterring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a foundation plate with my novel device in position.

Figure 2 is a sectional view along the lines 2-2 iii-Figure 1. I

Figure 3 is a side view of the drop-inhook.

Figure 4 is a vertical section along the Generally indicated at 1 is a foundation plate with orifices 2 for'retaining the dropiii-hooks. As shown the orifices have shoulders 3 in the upper portions of the orifices, although a taper at this point will also be eflective. The stem portion 4 of the clamp has an upper jaw 5, with a beveled or slanting front face 6 which contacts with the printing plate and securely looks it in position. The jaw is of a length to extend over the bed plate beyond the orifice and to support the drop-in-hook within the orifice until the adjustment screw is turned into holding position. The lower portion of the stem 4 is slotted medially for its lower portion as shown at 11 and a filler member 8 is mounted on a pivot pin 9 and swings into position within the orifice at right angles to the stem when it strikes the bed of the press below the foundation plate. One side of the lower part of the stem is rounded as at 1 6 to conform with the shape of the orifice. The slot 11 which extends through the stem forms a biturcation for the lower end of y the stem opposite the rounded portion. The filler member is bifurcated as at 12 to ema groove 14 in its top part and a recess 15 n its eater face to receive Spring 1@ which, as it permits the free withdrawal of the drop-in-hook, may be termed the withdrawal spring. The lower end of the spring 16 is held in the recess in the locking wedge and the spring also is retained by contact with the rounded portion 10 of the stem. The spring normally engages the locking wedge and the side ofthe orifice to liftthe wedge and hold it away from the shoulder during the withdrawal from the'foundation plate. Extending down through a central opening 17 in the top part of the jaw is an adjustment screw 18 rounded at its lower end to engage the groove 14 of the locking wedge. The screw is provided with arecess 19 in its upper part to receive a 'key by means of which it is adjusted.

The operation of securing aprinting plate is as follows: Theprinting plate is located in the desired position on the foundation plate andas many 'drop-in-hooks as are re quired are inserted in the adjacent orifices. The filler members -of'- the; drop-in-hooks swing down in line with the stems as shown in Figure 7. The lowerends of the filler members strike the bed below the foundation plate and are thereby' moved up into the orifices at positions at right angles with the stems. The filler membersact as. bracesfor the pivoted wedges as will, be hereinafter explained. 'By turning the adjustment screw with a key the locking wedges are forced outwardly until their upper ends engage the shoulders or tapered portions of the orifices. With this engagement the hook is locked in the orifice and further adjustment on the screwforces the stem and its jaw over against the printing plate where it firmly grasps the plate and holds it in,

locked position. Turningthe screw in reversed direction releases the jaw and the withdrawal spring shifts, the lock wedge away from the shoulder so thatthe drop-in: hook can be easily removed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Inja. drop-in-hook for a foundation plate in which the: plate is provided with recesses of less diameter above than below,

a jaw for engaging a printing plate disposed on the foundation plate, a stem portion to extend within the recess, provided with a pivoted filler member, a locking wedge pivotedto the .stem and adapted to engage the sideof the recess, with means operable through the jaw to enforce engagement with the foundation plate and to swing the jaw into plate-engaging position.

2. device of the character described in combination with a foundation plate with recesses therein of decreased diameter above, said device comprising a jaw to abut a printing plate,.,said.jaw having a stem to extend hi .,.tl r cess an m ans posed at the inner end of the stem as a brace to hold the stem in position within the recess.

4. In combination with a foundation plate of the character described, a drop-in-hookcomprising a jaw with a depending stem and means for locking same in a recess in the foundation plate with a filler member pivoted onthe stem so as to swing into positions approaching alignment with said stem and to position to fill out the recess and to serve as a brace to permit the stem to swing thereon and to force the jaw against the printing plate.

5. In combination with a foundation plate of the character described, adrop-in-hook comprising a jaw to engage a printing plate and a stem for insertion within a recess in thefoundation plate, afillermember mounted in the stem to fill the recess with a wedge member pivoted to the stem, and an adjusting screw operated through the jaw to force the wedge into engagement with the walls of the recess and to swing the jaw into plate engagement.

6. In combination with a foundation plate of the character described, a drop-in-hookcomprising a aw to engagea printing plate and a stem for insertion within a recess in the foundation plate,'a filler'member mounted in the stem to fill the recess with a wedge member pivoted to the stem, and an ad justing screw operated through the jaw to force the wedge into engagement with the walls of the recess and to swing the jaw into plate engagement, and a spring to re-- lease the wedge when the jaw is disengaged from the plate.

7. In a device of the character described ,in combination with a foundation plate,

with recesses therein, an integral stem and jaw member, a locking wedge pivoted on the stem, and means to lock the stem in position and to move the jaw against a printing plate, said means comprising an adjust-ment screw abutting the locking wedge.

8. In a device of the character described in combination with a foundation plate, with recesses therein, an integral stem and j awmember, a locking wedge pivoted on the stem, and means to lock the stem in position nd t9 move t e, jaw a n t P nt g plate, said means comprising an adjustment screw abutting the locking wedge, with a filler member at the bottom of the stem to cooperate with the adjustment screw to hold the stem within the recess.

9. In a drop in hook ajaw member having a stem adapted to be dropped into ahole, and a dog articulated with the stem, and swinging upwardly therein during movements of insertion and Withdrawal, a printing base having the hole therein, said hole having a shoulder formed within a portion thereof, sui'ficiently above the bottom of the hole to be engaged by the dog.

10. In a drop in hook a jaw member having a stern adapted to be dropped into a hole, and a dog articulated with the stem, and swinging upwardly therein during movements of insertion and withdrawal, a printing base having the hole therein, said hole having a shoulder formed within a portion thereof, sufliciently above the bottom of the hole to be engaged by the dog, said stein having also a hole filling member articulated thereto, and adapted to swing to positions of filling the hole when the stem is inserted, and to positions of freeing the stem for insertion and withdrawal into the hole, whereby a drop in hook is provided which can be inserted into the hole when the printing plate overlaps said hole.

ELMER F. N OELL. 

